The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 232 Lightning
"Michael, can you accept losing tonight?" the next reporter asked.

Michael Jordan said expressionlessly, "I accept losing, but I don't accept defeat. We will definitely win back."

"Michael, do you think this Lakers team has a chance to beat the Knicks in the series?" the reporter pressed.

Jordan hesitated for a moment and did not answer the question immediately.

Like Phil Jackson, he also saw many problems with this Lakers team during tonight's game.

Van Exel played too selfishly, the small forward position wasn't strong enough, O'Neal was still no match for Tang Bei, and the inside-outside duo of him and O'Neal wasn't well-coordinated enough. O'Neal, who had just joined the Lakers, wasn't yet familiar with the triangle offense, and so on.

This team is top-tier and can beat other strong teams, but they probably can't beat the Knicks in a series.

Although the Knicks are a team that has changed its core, this new core is much better than the old one, and everything about this team revolves around Tang Bei.

Tang Bei's overwhelming dominance on both offense and defense quickly took over the team, unleashing even stronger offensive and defensive capabilities than the previous season.

In contrast, the Lakers still need time to gel, while the Knicks, led by Tang Bei, have already demonstrated the strength of their roster.

Thinking of this, he said, "As you all know, Shaq just joined the Lakers, and we need time to integrate the roster. The coaching staff also needs time to develop more suitable tactics."

"So it's not appropriate to discuss the playoffs right now, but I believe we will be stronger by the end of the regular season."

……

"Tang, do you think this Lakers team can become the Knicks' strongest opponent?" a reporter from the Knicks asked.

Tang Bei said, "They played rather chaotically tonight, and their inside and outside game seemed somewhat disconnected. O'Neal and Jordan didn't achieve a synergy greater than the sum of their parts."

"You mean the Lakers are no match for the Knicks?" the reporter asked.

Tang Bei nodded and said, "At this stage, they are not."

"Tang, do you think this Lakers team has the potential to beat the Knicks?" the next reporter asked.

After thinking for a moment, Tang Bei said, "Jordan is still very good. Our perimeter defense is good, but we can't stop him."

At this point, he changed the subject and said, "But O'Neal is still not strong enough. When I move to the high post, he's like a chair, and I can play against him however I want."

"Shaquille O'Neal is a chair."

At this moment, many reporters had already come up with news headlines.

Tang Bei continued, "Let me give O'Neal some advice: either gain weight to 180 kilograms, then he can stop my low-post offense."

"Either, he can lose weight to 130 kilograms and improve his speed, so he can barely keep up with my speed at high positions."

His words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among the reporters below.

"Haha, Tang Ke is so naughty."

"If O'Neal really reaches 180 kilograms, he'll only be able to play basketball on foot. Tang can easily dominate him in the low post without even needing a tornado."

"With 130 kg of O'Neal, Tang doesn't even need to go to the high post. He can crush him in the low post. Tang is digging a hole for O'Neal."

……

The following day, the media offered various commentaries on the Knicks vs. Lakers game from the previous night, with the Lakers receiving less praise than the Knicks.

The New York Times reported: "Michael Jordan has already played one season with the Lakers, this is his second season, and Severe Fear has just arrived in the Knicks."

"But in this game, Tang demonstrated strong leadership for the team and absolute dominance over the game."

"On the other hand, Michael Jordan still couldn't dominate the Lakers and lacked the ability to control the game."

"This game showed the difference between the two. As the best player in the league, Michael Jordan was completely dominated by his severe fear."

Under the promotion of the New York Times, the leading American media outlet, Tang Bei became the de facto number one active player in the NBA, surpassing even Jordan.

From that day on, the Knicks began their road trip in the West.

The first stop was San Francisco, and the second stop was the Clippers; the two games were back-to-back.

After defeating these two terrible teams and winning five straight games, the Knicks arrived in Vancouver, Canada on the 9th.

Arriving in Vancouver from Los Angeles, the temperature dropped drastically, averaging only 3 degrees Celsius, and it was constantly raining, making it very damp and chilly. The next morning, three Knicks players had caught a cold.

On this day, the league announced the Player of the Week, and Tang Bei not only won the honor but also ranked first on the official MVP list.

On the night of the 10th, the Knicks defeated the Grizzlies, who were at the bottom of the league, and won their sixth straight game.

On the afternoon of the 11th, after concluding their western tour, the Knicks returned to New York.

The weather in New York this month has been relatively mild, with cool temperatures averaging around 12 degrees Celsius, but it has been dropping recently and there has been a lot of rain.

Garbo has already begun demolishing the private zoo on Long Island, and a luxury villa complex and kendo dojo are on the agenda.

On the 12th, the two returned to Long Island, where some excavators were working.

Jia Bao said, "Wet Tiger, the workers at these American construction companies are too lazy. They won't work overtime even if you pay them, and the wages are high. They don't even work on Saturdays and Sundays. Several construction companies have given me a main structure completion date of up to 15 months, plus decoration, it will take at least two years."

“I want to hand this project over to one of our own domestic construction companies. It’s not a high-rise building, so I estimate the main structure can be completed in three months. By the time you finish this season, the villas here should be ready to be sold.”

"I think I can."

Tang Bei immediately agreed.

Tangjia Real Estate has already established its own construction company. Although domestic projects are also tight, it can fully expand the scale of the construction company, as there are plenty of construction workers in China.

……

On November 12th, the Knicks welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers.

Allen Iverson, the number one draft pick, has always garnered a lot of attention. Whether it's his personal statistics or his influence, he stands out among the rookies of 96. He is the only rookie to average 20+ points per game and peaked right from the start.

His unconventional personality and behavior, clothing, playing style, and so on, quickly made him an idol for a large number of people.

The Los Angeles Times reported: "Whether the Lightning's speed and unparalleled ability to penetrate defenses can break through the heavily guarded no-go zone will be the biggest focus of tonight's game."

The New York Times reported: "Lightning will leave those with severe fears battered and bruised."

The Philadelphia Daily News reported: "Lightning's speed will leave Severe Fear helpless; he will be one of the few small players in the league who can deal with Tang Bei."

At noon, several reporters who were staking out the hotel ran into Allen Iverson outside the hotel lobby.

"Alan, do you think you can handle severe phobias?" a reporter immediately asked.

Iverson, chin held high, said, "I will do my best. I'm not afraid of him."

"Do you think he is the number one active person with severe phobia?" another reporter asked.

Iverson said without hesitation, "My idol is Michael, Michael Jordan. I think he is the greatest basketball player who combines talent and skill."

"As for Severe Fear, although he is very strong, his strength lies in his talent. I think his skills are not as good as those of super centers like Ewing."

Iverson's words quickly spread throughout the United States and the world via the media, and questioning Tang Bei's words immediately sparked a great deal of public opinion.

No matter how much attention and influence Allen Iverson has in the United States, or how much influence the NCAA has in the United States, even in the United States, he is far inferior to Tang Bei.

Outside the United States, a rookie like Iverson is even less comparable to Tang Bei.

Therefore, he was immediately criticized by countless media outlets around the world, with The New York Times and a large number of New York media outlets launching a barrage of attacks against him.

After Eric Fleischer's agency moved back to New York, he personally took over as Tang Bei's agent, and the original agent in charge was fired.

After receiving the news, he immediately made a phone call: "Tang, that top scorer is causing trouble. A rookie dares to provoke you. You need to respond."

Tang Bei inquired about the situation and, upon hearing that Iverson believed his skills were inferior to Ewing's and the others, he opened the toolbox panel to take a look.

In terms of basic skills, three out of the eight basic skills reached 95, five reached 90, and none were below level 80. For a center, this is already very high.

Advanced skills are the result of combining technique with talent; 10 out of 11 skills reach level 90, with 7 of them reaching level 95.

Is this what you call poor technique?

How skilled does he consider himself to be now? He's at a level where even Ewing, the best center in terms of skill, would have to put up a fight for him.

He thought for a moment and said, "Eric, he's just a slightly arrogant rookie. I'll teach him a lesson tonight."

Eric Fleischer said, "That's good. You're not only the best player in the league, I think you'll be the greatest of all time. You'll be the GOAT of the NBA."

……

Evening, Madison Square Garden.

When Tang Bei arrived, he was surrounded by several reporters in the parking lot.

"Tang, do you need to respond to Iverson's comments?"

"No, he's just a young man, saying a few impulsive words. I really don't think there's any need to target him." "Tang, do you consider yourself the best active player?"

"Hehe, you guys decide. All I want is the championship."

"Tang, would you like to be friends with Iverson?"

"How could that be? I'm not even familiar with him."

After shaking off the reporters, Tang Bei went to the home team's locker room, where the coaching staff and management were waiting outside.

"Tang, teach that newbie a lesson," Van Gundy said after seeing Tang Bei.

Tang Bei was taken aback, then asked with a smile, "Jeff, why do you say that?"

Xiao Fan said seriously, "Tang, even a newbie dares to provoke you. If you don't respond, it will affect your status in the league. You need to tell everyone that you cannot be provoked."

Tang Bei nodded and said, "Jeff, you're right."

Then Xiao Fan gave him a statistic of Iverson's first five games, which he took a look at.

Three-point attempts accounted for 26%, mid-range and long-range two-pointers combined accounted for 40%, close-range two-pointers accounted for 20%, and attacks under the basket accounted for 14%.

Xiao Fan said, "Rookie relies on breakthroughs to finish, but not on strong attacks under the basket. He is good at pull-up jump shots, but because his breakthrough speed is too fast, his shooting percentage for mid-range and close-range two-pointers is not high. His highest shooting percentage is under the basket and long-range two-pointers. His three-point shooting is only average."

"Thank you!"

Tang Bei waved the data sheet, then turned and went into the locker room.

Xiao Fan smiled. As Pat Riley's disciple, he had no intention of going against Tang Bei. As the Knicks' head coach, his main job was to help Tang Bei win the championship.

Although he has little say in the team, isn't this just the beginning of his coaching career? Rookies certainly don't have human rights.

Anyway, his life with the Knicks is definitely much better than his brother's last season coaching the Heat.

"Tang, we must take down that newbie tonight."

"Boss, hit him!"

"Boss, just like you did with Mourning, shut him out."

As soon as Tang Bei entered the locker room, a group of teammates, led by Oakley, stood up and started chattering away.

"A clean sheet?"

Tang Bei looked at Mason and said irritably, "He's a point guard who controls the ball, and I heard he likes to shoot three-pointers. How am I supposed to shut him out?"

Little Mason patted his chest and said, "Boss, you just focus on defending the outwards, I'll go in and cover for you."

Chris Childs patted his chest and said, "Boss, I'll defend against his shots, not his drives. I won't give him a chance to shoot from the outside."

Tang Bei smiled and nodded, but didn't have high hopes. It would be too difficult to shut out a guard who controlled the ball and averaged 20+ points per game, even if he was a rookie.

……

At 7:30, both teams announced their starting lineups.

76ers: Derrick Coleman, Scott Williams, Clarence Witherspoon, Jerry Stackhouse, Allen Iverson
Knicks: Don Bei, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason Jr., John Starks, Chris Childs
The game was broadcast live nationwide by NBC. Bill Russell said:
"Currently, the Philadelphia 76ers have a record of 2 wins and 3 losses, while the Knicks have a perfect record of 6 wins and 3 losses. The New York Knicks have a clear advantage in terms of strength."

Bill Walton said, "But the performance on the day, the players' condition, and the coach's on-the-spot command are also very important. It is perfectly normal for the underdog to win against the strong."

Bill Russell said, "The outcome of the game is not important. Although the 76ers and the Knicks are both in the East, they are not very competitive. The 76ers' goal is to make the playoffs, while the Knicks' goal is to win the championship."

Bill Walton continued the discussion, saying, "So the biggest highlight of this game is the matchup between Iverson and Tang Bei in different positions."

Bill Russell laughed and said, "Although Iverson's performance in the first five games was good, he still doesn't deserve to be compared to Severe Fear. I think if he can just have a few brilliant offensive plays today, he will be very successful."

“As a rookie, he can afford to lose, but Tang Bei can’t. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he handles Iverson,” Bill Walton said with a strange expression.

……

In the player tunnel, Tang Bei walked up to Allen Iverson and looked him over.

The short, black hair and the arrogant, fighting spirit on his face made him look a bit like Kobe, which didn't make him dislike him.

Iverson felt immense pressure; his scalp tingled, sweat dripped from his forehead, and his heart raced, as if he were being watched by a wild beast.

Swish! The other four starters of the 76ers all took a step back, their rhythm perfectly synchronized.

"you?"

Iverson was furious at being abandoned by his teammates.

Fortunately, Tang Bei didn't say a word and walked away immediately, which relieved him. After wiping away his sweat, he glared angrily at his teammates.

"Don, what do you plan to do with him?" Oakley asked.

Tang Bei said, "He's just a newbie. There's no need to make a big fuss about him. He's not worth dealing with specially, understand?"

“Okay.” Oakley nodded.

"Shh!"

Next up, the away team went first. Iverson was the first to step out, and a deafening chorus of boos startled him.

"I'm not afraid."

After realizing what had happened, he still hopped and skipped his way onto the stage.

……

At 8 o'clock, the game began, and Tang Bei and Derek Coleman jumped for the ball.

Coleman, the number one draft pick in 90, has suffered a major injury, his talent has been reduced by more than half, his strength is not what it used to be, and he can't jump very high.

"Snapped!"

Tang Bei first tipped the ball away, Chris Childs received the ball, and the Knicks attacked.

He moved to the low post and found that Derrick Coleman was not guarding him head-on, but instead was fronting him.

This puzzled him a bit. Derek Coleman was shorter than him, had a lower jumping ability, and was weaker than him. What was the point of him going in front of Coleman to defend him?
Of course, he didn't think Coleman's top defense was effective either. At 104 kilograms, anyone who dared to confront him would be courting death.

Seeing Tang Bei enter the penalty area, Chris Childs immediately passed the ball over Iverson's head.

"boom!"

Then came the expected alley-oop dunk, with Tang Bei hanging high above the 76ers' basket.

"WOW!"

Madison Square Garden erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

Bill Walton joked, "This way of ending things is just like Iverson said, all about talent, no skill involved."

"Ha ha……"

Bill Russell couldn't help but burst out laughing.

0:2, 76ers on offense.

During the transition between offense and defense, Iverson wanted to launch a fast break, but when power forward Williams inbounded the ball, Oakley blocked him, and the ball was not inbounded immediately. The Knicks took the opportunity to get back on defense and started a half-court offense.

Iverson dribbled the ball close to the right wing three-point line. Just as Childs was about to close in on him, Iverson suddenly accelerated and changed direction to break through, penetrating the right wing.

"Shet!"

Chris Childs cursed under his breath. Although he had said he would defend against shots but not drives, being driven so cleanly still made him look bad.

Oakley moved up and sideways to cover the right midfield position, forcing Iverson to slow down and change direction before bursting into the penalty area.

"Snapped!"

John Starks, who was coming down to cover, made a timely tackle and stole the ball from Iverson.

Tang Bei, who had already retreated to the basket, retrieved the ball and passed it to Chris Childs beyond the three-point line, and the Knicks' counterattack immediately began.

"The rookie fell into the Knicks' defensive trap; he should have taken the pull-up jumper from mid-range," Bill Russell said.

The Knicks then launched a counterattack, with Childs scoring a layup, making it 0-4 for the 76ers.

"Lightning is too fast, so its accuracy at medium range is generally low."

Bill Walton said, then added sarcastically, "Besides, how can Tang Bei's defensive skills be proven bad if the rookie doesn't drive in and score a layup over someone with severe fear?"

"Haha, Bill, don't be too harsh on the rookie. He's still very talented," Bill Russell laughed.

(End of this chapter)